Malkhana munshi held for stealing cash, jewellery worth crores

Ahead of his retirement, a head constable posted as munshi at a Malkhana of the Sidhwan Bet police station has landed behind the bars at his police station.

Identified as Gurdas Singh, the official is accused of allegedly misappropriating cash and valuables worth about Rs 1.25 crore allegedly by breaking seals of bags kept in his custody.

Though the investigating team is yet to ascertain details of the case, sources in the department revealed that the suspect had committed the crime for compensating for losses incurred by him in gambling.

The usurped case property also includes drug money that was seized from a gang of smugglers nabbed by the Jagraon CIA wing on December 13, 2023. He is also suspected to have misappropriated cash, jewellery and valuables worth lakhs seized in several other cases.

Acknowledging the arrest of Gurdas, SSP Ankur Gupta said a three-member panel, headed by an SP, had initiated a probe to verify the exact amount of money or valuables stole by the suspect or by his accomplice, if any, ading that all benefits and payments to be made at the time of his retirement would be withheld.

The case surfaced when the suspect hesitated to present records regarding the captioned NDPS case in a court. The case pertained to gang members, led by Avtar Singh Taari of Dhudike village in Moga, nabbed with arms and ammunition, fake number plates of vehicles and police uniforms, besides the drug money in question.

The policeman had been working as the Munshi for about 20 months.

The suspect, an ex-serviceman, is also drawing a pension from the Indian Army.